How much SAF is produced matters less than whether its sustainability claims are trustworthy.
Double counting can go undetected, and traceability from origin to endpoint is the exception, not the norm. This is especially true under a Book-and-Claim model, where environmental attributes are separated from the physical fuel itself.
For the industry, scaling SAF adoption means closing that divide: turning sustainability claims into something provable, not just stated.
A blockchain-based system that tokenizes SAF attributes and turns sustainability claims into verifiable, auditable data.
In a research and development project with PUC-Rio University's Ledger Labs and the Cardano Foundation, Petrobras built a platform that represents each SAF attribute as a standardized token on Cardano. Named CS-SAF, it carries metadata aligned with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
Tokens can be minted, transferred, consulted, and retired, so a claim can only be made once. Anchoring that process to public blockchain infrastructure supports the Book-and-Claim model at scale, keeping sustainability claims auditable and consistently verifiable across airlines, regulators, and passengers.
Demonstrated security and reliability support continuous operation.
Future-ready infrastructure supports platform growth without sacrificing performance.
Robust architecture protects sensitive data, minimizing the risk of breaches or fraud.
Energy-efficient consensus and ethical governance align with sustainability efforts.
From certificate to verifiable claim
How Petrobras validates, tokenizes, allocates, and retires SAF attributes on Cardano.
Certificate validation
SAF certificates are checked against CORSIA and other recognized standards before entering the system.
Attribute tokenization
Verified certificates are minted as standardized tokens with traceable metadata.
Allocation and claiming
Tokens are assigned to airlines or passenger journeys based on emissions calculations.
Consumer interface
Passengers can also claim tokens individually through a dedicated app and receive a certificate of their offset.
On-chain retirement
Claimed tokens are permanently retired, preserving auditability and preventing reuse.
Results
How Petrobras uses Cardano to set a new standard for SAF traceability and certification.
"The energy transition will depend as much on trust as it does on new fuels. As value chains become more complex, proving where environmental data comes from, how it moves, and who can rely on it becomes critical. Public blockchain gives us the opportunity to make that trust part of the system by design, providing industries with a shared, verifiable foundation for the next generation of energy markets."
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